The present invention relates to a snowshoe and more particularly a longitudinal position adjusting device in its means for mounting the boot.
The snowshoes, devices known for very many years, have been used for several centuries by the Scandinavian populations to move on snow. Until recently, snowshoes were used by ordinary travelers or soldiers to allow the populations and the alpine troops to move on snow for their movements required by the everyday life. Currently, snowshoes are instead used by walkers or sportsmen who undertake excursions and walks, and even competitions. But the sportsmen, although participating for their pleasure, are increasingly demanding for the equipment which they use, and it is true that the currently sold products do not give whole satisfaction.
One knows many mounting devices intended to equip snowshoes, such as rubber slippers or bindings of the type including front and rear retaining means intended to retain the boot of the user on an articulated plate. According to these bindings the rear retaining means are slidably disposed at the rear of the plate to be able to be moved forwards and backwards longitudinally and to be positioned and locked in a determined longitudinal position, adapted to the length of the boot of the user. This type of device for example is described in French language patents FR 0,002,823, FR 2,606,660, FR 2,742,347, FR 2,760,375, EP 0 671 190.
However, such devices present disadvantages, because the adjustments are generally not very practical to use and often require a relatively long time to be implemented. Moreover, certain types of adjustment require the use of a key, a screwdriver or another tool. Besides if these types of devices are entirely correct, for boots of large sizes, they are entirely misfits for average and small sizes. Indeed, if the rear retaining means are moved forwards, the user notes that a large part of the pivoting plate extends beyond the back of his heel, which harms the esthetics of the product, as well as its comfort because with each step the user must raise this extending part, and which in addition catches snow.